Faces/births

January 12, 1989

* Richard M. Bagley, former Hampton legislator and state Cabinet secretary who supported many improvements in Virginia's statewide mental health system, was recently honored for "what he did for mental health in his own hometown."

The State Mental Health and Mental Retardation Board honored Bagley as an early champion for improved local services for mentally ill, mentally retarded and substance abusing residents in his own area of Hampton and surrounding communities.

Greer Dawson Wilson, board chairman, said the state board recently established a special award for outstanding local citizens or innonative community programs for the mentally disabled. The new award, given in localities where the state board conducts its monthly meetings, is presented to an outstanding local resident or program nominated by the local community services board.

In announcing the award, Wilson said that during Bagley's tenure as a member of the local community services board, as well as an elected and appointed official, he worked to establish the single system of care that now includes state mental health hospitals and services coordinated by the local community services boards.

The then Del. Bagley resigned his post on his local board when he was named chairman of the 1977-1980 statewide legislative Commission on Mental Health and Mental Retardation. It was this commission, Wilson said, "that wrote the blueprint for the comprehensive system of services available to Virginians today."

Bagley, delegate from Hampton for 20 years and chairman for eight years of the House Appropriations Committee, did not seek re-election in 1985. In 1986, he was appointed secretary of economic development by Gov. Gerald L. Baliles and served until taking early retirement.

BIRTHS

New members of the community were recently born to:

AUBE, John and Leanora, 2070 Havoc Drive, Langley Air Force Base, Dec. 26, 1988, a son at Sentara Hampton General Hospital.